Ok FA/AC guys I have a question. I found near me an HD16 sideboom. Waiting to hear back if it's still for sale. His asking price is reasonable. Less than $10k and open to offers. Looks to be in good shape. I'd use it around the yard for lifting various things and I also think it's cool. What should I look for as far as potential serious issues? I know that standard dozer stuff but I know there are specific things to the FA/AC stuff. If I go look I'll post pics. Any and all info would be great! Junkyard
Most pipelayers had a pretty easy life as compared to a dozer. You might have found a jewel. I would love to have a pipelayer to use just as you discribe.
I'm hoping he calls back. As I recall from a previous customer machines that were tracked a long ways were hard on the right side U/C due to the weight of the winches and counterweights. I know we had to offset them quite a bit when hauling the small and midsize machines with weights on. I'd even haul a 594 with weights on when I had my big ugly 10' wide. I'll try the guy again tomorrow and see what I can find out. I've asked everybody I know in the Chelsea area if they know if it. Junkyard
Pics from ad. I did a little diggin and think I know where it's sitting. I'm going to investigate tomorrow.... Junkyard
She looks nice ! Guessing it's late 1950's vintage buy the look of the hard nose & engine . Get the serial number tomorrow if possible .
Yair . . . . . Dunno td25c. I don't think it was until the maybe the seventies Allis and Cat lost the technology to stamp out a proper rounded hardnose (grins) it looks nineteen sixties'ish to me . . . the FiatAllis sticker is probably an add on but they took over in seventy four (I think). What a beautiful machine to get hold of! Cheers.
I was hoping you guys would chime in at some point! A friend lives near where I believe it is and he's sure it's still there. I'll take a look tomorrow. He's asking $6,750. In my mind the other thing that would make it better is a winch hanging off the back but as far as a yard machine it would be darn handy. Where should the S/N be? Junkyard
Sounds cheap to me if it works. I recently tried to buy a 7U-D4 in Arizona with a side boom. A friend in Laramie that restores Cats got it ahead of me. It turned out to have 400 hours on it and is like brand new.
Even if he doesn't budge on price I'll most likely bring it home. Hard to pass up unless I see something catastrophic. My better half just rolled her eyes over it. My boys are excited. Funny how our minds work! Or don't, depends on your perspective I reckon. Kinda feel like I used to around Christmas when I was a kid
Upper right hand side stamped in the rear frame . Under the PTO cover in this case . Bring a good flashlight & pocket knife .
Thank you td25c. I sort of recalled reading that but wasn't sure if it was an AC thing or another make.
Yeah Junkyard , found an article on a HD 16 pipe layer tractor . Also serial numbers from 1955 to 65 for the HD 16 . I think your on to somewhat of a rare find as you just don't see many of these rigs .
I saw it today. Boom was off, it appeared to have the winches and weights removed. I don't know what they're doing, if it's being scraped or tore down to go into a container. I couldn't get closer than a couple hundred feet away. I hope to hear from the guy, even partially disassembled I'd like to have it, especially if it's somewhat rare. Thanks for the info.
Spoke to the owner today. Going to take a look at it tomorrow. He's also got some older winch trucks and trailers. Lord knows what else I might find! I'll make a list. Winch trucks are older single axles with Detroit power. I dig the old 2 strokes. What I saw looks to be low useage like the Allis. Junkyard
Hopefully its all there and was only disasembled for hauling. Good luck. I patiently wait.
when I was young I might have also thought this was "cool". after many disasters I have learned to just leave it alone.
Haven't made it to see the trucks and equipment in person yet. Work got in the way. I did find out one truck is a 6-71 and one is a 6v71. He's very reasonable on his asking price. Going to attempt to look at things tomorrow. Stay tuned! Junkyard
Hope you get some of that equipment bought Junkyard . Was in a similar position few years back . Owner was retired , took good care of his equipment . Was an easy decision !
I hope so too, after several conversations with him it sure sounds like when something needed a repair it was done and done right. I'm hoping the shop has some goodies in it too! Hoping to report back with good news tomorrow.
HD16FC-2711 is the serial number. Shop foreman says it doesn't turn right very good. A guy came to buy it, they stripped it down for him and he never came back. Trucks don't look too bad, not as slick as the picture. Who knows how old that was! Allis was stripped down about 3 months ago. To me it's worth scrap especially since I'd have to go back together with it and knowing one side is weak for one reason or another. I threw some eye candy on here. One is the tag off the sideboom frame. Junkyard
Ok , yeah she looks good ! 1957 buy the serial number and undercarriage looks brand new ! Someone has took care of it for sure . The tractor has a friction disk " snap clutch" backed up with a diesel torque convertor . Pretty nice set up ! My first dozer was a 1956 Allis 16 with the same specs . The turning issue could be as simple like linkage adjustment in the steering clutch control levers to the valve body . I noticed in one picture the right side steering clutch lever hung lower than the left . Just something to look at & think about . I like easy decisions .
I let him stew a little today. I can't see anybody beating his door down for it. I'll start at scrap price and see where I end up. I've decided against the little winch trucks. Short wheelbase, light axles and small winches. What's a good fair price for the 16? He had it advertised for $6,750. I'm thinkin $3,500ish and I wouldn't get hurt on it. How much work would it be to put a blade on it? Finding genuine Allis stuff might be tough but maybe adapt a Cat setup......? Or is that a crazy notion all together? Lol. I get those from time to time! Junkyard
I don't know anything about track type machines but my thought would be that if you put a blade on it it would be for production type work and then when the first major part or some specialized seal lets go then you would be left with a hunk of scrap metal with a custom blade on it. On the other hand if you needed a side boom then there it is, it wouldn't get a ton of hours and it is already set up without too much extra work.
if you want a dozer buy the whole cat and run it and leave this as a side boom, you will be a lot happier with a power shift on a blade ......just my 2 cents
It was a curiosity thing not so much a conversion I was going to attempt. Never have to wonder what everybody on here thinks! Lol. I've seen Cat dozers taken from a pushing machines to a sideboom so I'm somewhat familiar with that process on much newer machines. Just curious that's all. Junkyard
Myself would be inclined to leave the 16 as a boom tractor being all the parts are with it . Something like that could be a handy item for working on equipment . Heck , might even mount a set of torch tanks & gas drive welder on it . On the other hand if it would serve better as a dozer here's everything it would need . Blade , hardnose , & winch . http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...nt/for-sale/10690539/1955-allis-chalmers-hd16
I'll leave it alone. It's worth more to lift stuff anyway. I may call him tomorrow. Junkyard
Oh just buy it junkyard. It's only money. Then I can come borrow it when I have that once in a lifetime crane job, that only a pipelayer would work for. Better yet, I'll just have you come along and run it.
Haha! Sounds like a plan! Unless he's stuck solid on his number I'll buy it. But you can't have the weights! Haha. If you had a crane close by I'd have you come help throw it together and then help me rearrange my containers. I can assemble it with the service truck easy enough. Next on the yard list is an old lattice boom truck crane. I'll have all kinds of lift capacity that's not fit to leave the yard Junkyard
just a thought, do you know how many hours/days/months they ran that tractor without an oil filler cap till they ductaped it? this would not endear me to that really old piece of yard art.
I noticed that when I looked at it. I meant to ask the foreman and we got sidetracked. Good point.
Should get lucky if has been covered, as far as can remember will accept a standard sized expanding rubber stopper type cap. Will be a handy machine to have, check the fluid pressure on the clutch for the weak side, may be adjusted low or have some internal leakage on the actuator. That has hydraulic steering clutches so will be a mid-series built tractor. The engine appears to be the Lanova style head so is the earlier style engine.
Yeah guys , engine oil filler cap is on the left side of the engine . Looks to be fine , it's a spring loaded flip cap . I think what your looking at in the other photo on right hand side is partly dismantled intake pipe with duct tape on it . Could have been pulled apart when the owner was removing the boom & winch for the initial buyer ?